EXPAND YOUR WORLD –INNOVATE, CONNECT AND

TRANSFORM (I-C-T)

CHARLES COTTER PhD, MBA, B.A (Hons), B.A

www.slideshare.net/CharlesCotter

6TH ANNUAL CONGRESS, IHRM KENYA

MOMBASA, KENYA

22 MAY 2019

PRESENTATION OVERVIEW

EXPAND YOUR WORLD – INNOVATE, CONNECT

AND TRANSFORM (I-C-T):

Innovative Solutions Architect

Hyperconnected Collaborator

Transformative Strategic Performance Advisor

THE FUTURE FIT CODE

THE FUTURE FIT CODE

The Future-fit code: 10 Strategies to future-proof your career fluidity and accelerate

your employment mobility to prosper as a virtual HRM consultant in the Digital

Economy:

#1: Relevance

#2: Differentiation

#3: Unique Value Proposition

#4: Specialization

#5: Agility

#6: Re-invention

#7: Value Amplification

#8: Next Dimension Thinking

#9: Digital Literacy and -Citizenship

#10: Hyperconnected Collaborator

FUTURE FIT CODE: SURVEY

In light of the above Future-fit Code, do you believe

that you are ready for the future workplace?

To determine your future fitness score you are welcome

to complete the 2-minute, self-scoring survey. Please

refer to the following link:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PQJJMX6

INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS ARCHITECT

“One of the mission-critical strategic HRM

objectives is to mainstream HRM into the core

business processes. HRM should be embedded in

the business strategy and their value proposition

should be ingrained in the organizational culture

fabric. Key business decisions should not be taken

in the absence of consulting with HRM.”

(Charles Cotter PhD, 2018)

INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS ARCHITECT

Strategic HRM objective:

Mainstream HRM into core business processes,

by offering business valued solutions to key

organizational problems.

Role: Innovative solutions architect

NEXT DIMENSION THINKING

NEXT DIMENSION THINKING

To prosper in the Digital Economy job space, future-fit HRM

consultants will have to practice "outside-of-the-box" systems

thinking and innovatively redesign their thinking and business

model to take calculated risks by exploring uncharted frontiers and

generating breakthrough ideas.

This could typically include independent, virtual consulting gigs

and they would have to abandon the notion and comfort of their

full-time employment status.

CHANGE MESSAGE TO HR MANAGERS

(COTTER PHD, 2018)

"HRM must be instrumental in and at the

forefront of the I-Q-C-A-P drivers of business

performance, namely: Innovation; Quality;

Compliance; Agility and Processes (to

optimize productivity), in their quest to

transform and actualize to become strategic

performance advisors."

CHANGE MESSAGE TO HR MANAGERS

(COTTER PHD, 2018)

“Stop fixating on best practice and rather

concentrate on conceptualizing next practice. This

is the fundamental differentiation between industry

followership and leadership.”

THE 4 CORE COMPETENCIES (INTELLIGENCES)

OF HRM PROFESSIONALS

Business Literacy (BQ)

Financial Literacy (FQ)

Technological Literacy (TQ)

Digital Literacy (DQ)

COGNITIVE (THINKING) COMPETENCIES

REQUIRED BY HRM

Design thinking

Innovative thinking

Strategic thinking

Conceptual thinking

Systems thinking

Analytical thinking

Critical thinking

HYPERCONNECTED COLLABORATOR

HYPERCONNECTED COLLABORATOR

The value of your business network will not be

determined by the quantity of your direct connections,

but rather by your analytical ability to penetrate, mine

and harvest the business relationship potential and

exploit mutually-beneficial collaboration opportunities

within the scope of your secondary and tertiary

connections.

DIGITAL LITERACY AND -CITIZENSHIP

DIGITAL LITERACY AND -CITIZENSHIP

“To actualize to a responsible and

responsive digital citizen, you’ll have to

master the ability to navigate, curate,

analyze and communicate via digital

media sources across an array of 5-G

technological platforms.”

A-B-C (ALWAYS BE CREATING)

“For a kindergarten teacher, ABC are the

building blocks of the alphabet; for a corporate

communications specialist, ABC is their

message gospel defined by accuracy, brevity and

clarity and for a sales consultant, ABC is their

motivational mantra, Always be Closing.

A-B-C (ALWAYS BE CREATING)

However, for a future-fit, independent HRM contractor, ABC is their

business philosophy, Always be Creating. They have to unlock

their creative genius by constantly creating meaningful business

content; by creating mutually beneficial business

relationships; by creating future-proof sources of differentiation

and competitive edge; by creating innovative and immersive

employee (human) experiences; by creating a vibrant stream of

collaboration opportunities and by creating significant business

impact and optimal business solutions.”

(Charles Cotter PhD, 9 January 2019)

HYPERCONNECTED COLLABORATOR

Independent, future-fit HRM Consultants need to adopt an

abundance mindset and symbiotically collaborate (instead of

competing) with other virtual consultants

This strategy relates to level 4: PROMOTER of Cotter’s Hierarchy

of Deeds.

A critical success factor for the prosperity and future-fitness of

independent HR Consultants in the African market is to apply the

Law of Attraction.

HYPERCONNECTED COLLABORATOR

“Collaboration is King.”

Independent, future-fit HRM Consultants should create a community of

trusted peers and subject matter experts who they can recommend, refer

work to, actively seek out collaboration opportunities and in the event of

double bookings, farm work out to these business partners.

Instead of competing for a larger slice of the cake, independent HRM

consultants are advised and encouraged to collaborate to increase the size

of the cake, so that all trainers can optimize their portion of the cake.

HYPERCONNECTED COLLABORATOR

This spirit of collaboration will build professional momentum,

create synergy, a sense of reciprocity and future-fit HRM

Consultants will be rewarded by magnetically attracting other

consulting gigs.

Therefore, independent HRM consultants will be able to

capitalize on the multiplier effect.

“The business calculator function of prosperous and future-fit

trainers is not addition, but multiplication.”

HYPERCONNECTED COLLABORATOR

Independent HRM Consultants need to expand their business network

through mining, investing in and nurturing mutually beneficial business

relationships

This strategy relates to level 5: PROSPECTOR of Cotter’s Hierarchy of Deeds.

A critical success factor for the prosperity and future-fitness of independent

Consultants in the African market is to apply the Law of Association.

Independent HRM Consultants must actively hunt for value-adding business

connections and associations and nurture, invest in and build these

relationships.

As an independent, future-fit HRM Consultant, your network equals your net

worth.”

SPECIALIZATION

Dispel the myth of being a generalist, trying to please all-and-

sundry and to satisfy divergent needs, the business currency of

the future, gig economy will be specialization.

"The on-demand workforce will be driven and dominated by expert

taskmasters, not multi-taskers.“

Future-fit HRM consultants will offer a high degree of credible

subject matter expertise and strategic performance advice.

TRANSFORMATIVE STRATEGIC

PERFORMANCE ADVISOR

HRM Strategy (e.g. embedding HR strategy into business strategy; the use of strategy maps;

adopting a strategic mindset and applying strategic management principles and processes) -

strategic/future-focused;

Business Intelligence (e.g. competitive predictive HR metrics and analytics; future-proofing

the business model; creating HIPO; applying evidence-based HRM; knowledge management

and trouble-shooting solutions architects) strategic/current;

Workplace Advocacy (e.g. Employee engagement; employee voice; employee retention;

succession planning; creating a workplace culture of ambassadors; mainstreaming HRM and

future-fit employees) - transactional/future-focused and

HRM Governance (e.g. HR policies and procedures; HR/people risk management, compliance

with ethics and King IV corporate governance principles and -Human Capital reporting and

HR Auditing) - transactional/current.

7-POINT HRM TRANSFORMATION

(COTTER PHD, 11 JANUARY 2019)

"In order to be feasible, to prosper professionally in 2019

and to be future-fit, HRM will have to exchange the

currency in which they trade from old notes to

noteworthy, Industry 4.0 and business relevant

denominations and value. Specifically, this change

translates from:

1. feelings to facts;

from 2. anecdotal to analytical;

from 3. hindsight to foresight;

from 4. intuition to intelligence;

7-POINT HRM TRANSFORMATION

(COTTER PHD, 11 JANUARY 2019)

from a 5. business tributary to mainstream;

from 6. best practice (imitation) to next practice

(innovation) and ultimately,

from 7. a cost to a profit centre.

Generally, this 7-point transformation means an

upgrade to Evidence-based HRM."

WHAT BUSINESS EXECUTIVES ARE LOOKING

FOR IN HRBP?

#1: Catalytic Driver of Change

#2: Pro-active Business Thinker

#3: Collaborative Consultant

#4: Purpose-directed Coach

#5: Delivery (results-oriented HR practices)

#6: (Credible and Accountable) Performance Advisor

#7: Strategic Facilitator

CHANGE MESSAGE TO HR MANAGERS

(COTTER, 2018)

HR Managers & -Professionals will have to transform to

Behavioural Economists who trade in competitive

predictive analytics and business intelligence and

who have an in-depth and rich understanding of the

mechanics (structures, processes, systems & operations)

and dynamics (culture, values, emotions & attitudes)

and how these influence key business decision-making"

THE FUTURE OF HRM METRICS & ANALYTICS?

HRM will have to migrate from the fundamentals

of people science to the complexities of data

science.”

(Cotter, 2017)

CONCLUSION AND WAY FORWARD

Seemingly, the diagnosis of the current

strategic HRM and L&D practices and

their future-fit status doesn't look

promising.

The prognosis of the future-proofing of

the HRM/L&D professions appears very

bleak.

LIST OF SOURCES

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/cotters-independent-trainer-

prosperity-future-fit-8-cotter-phd/

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/future-fit-code-10-strategies-

future-proof-your-career-charles-cotter/

https://www.slideshare.net/CharlesCotter/measurement-and-

diagnosis-of-the-strategic-impact-and-value-of-selected-african-

hrmld-practices-a-surveybased-studyresearch-findings

CONTACT DETAILS

QUESTION AND ANSWER

SESSION